Why I don't do fluffy or vague. I do data. (There’s science behind stress solutions)

I’ve said it before, but in case you’re new here, I need to be honest with you about something. I'm not one of those coaches who's going to deal in the pink and fluffy b*llocks.

I want data. I want evidence. I want to understand what's happening, not what we think/hope/assume is happening.

If that makes me different from other coaches, I’m cool with that. Because when it comes to stress and performance, vague doesn't work for me. Data does.

Everything is data

During a recent coaching supervision session, I was reminded of something important. Every single thing someone does or doesn't do, says or doesn't say, even how they blink or don't blink, is all data.

It's information about what truly lies beneath the surface. It's evidence of patterns, triggers, and responses that we can genuinely work with.

This data-obsessed approach is my USP. Of course I’m interested in improving your feelings, but I really want to help you identify the true causes of your (di)stress.

Perhaps this is just me but, I don’t think you can resolve issues you don't understand, and you can't understand something if you're not taking in all the data.

The problem with fluffy approaches

The wellness industry is full of generic solutions that sound nice but don't work for most people:

“Just breathe deeply and everything will be fine.
Think positive thoughts.
Try this miracle morning routine.
Have you considered mindfulness?
How about yoga?”

According to Ciphr's 2024 research, 86% of people in the UK feel stressed at least once a month, averaging 10.3 days of stress per month. Meanwhile, research from Frontiers in Psychology shows that coaching is now a $2 billion industry, yet "this increase in coaching has been largely uninformed by empirical effectiveness research."

If generic solutions worked, wouldn't those stress numbers be going down instead of up?

Fluffy approaches treat symptoms, not causes. They make you feel temporarily better without addressing why you felt bad in the first place. It's like putting a plaster on a broken bone. It might make you feel like you're doing something, but you're not actually solving the problem.

Why I use assessments

This is why I'm passionate about using assessments in my work. Research from the British Psychological Society shows that coaches with psychology backgrounds and training in evidence-based methods are more effective than those without. When I suggest tools like the Mental Toughness Questionnaire, I'm gathering evidence about causes of, and how you respond to, stress.  We get data, rather than make assumptions.

What I've realised is that there's usually a big difference between what people believe causes their stress and what actually does. Similarly, there's often a gap between how they think they respond and how they respond in reality.

The assessment data helps us bridge that gap. It gives us concrete information about your patterns, your triggers, and your natural responses. Information we can use to create solutions tailored to your specific needs.

The credibility gap

When I tell people I don't do fluffy, I'm not being difficult. I'm trying to be credible and helpful.

Work-related stress costs the UK economy £57.4 billion annually. A comprehensive meta-analysis of 37 randomised controlled trials found that workplace coaching has a moderate effect size of 0.59 - but only when it's done properly with evidence-based approaches.

Stress is not a fluffy problem that needs a fluffy solution. That's a serious problem that needs serious solutions backed by research – and evidence or data.

When someone comes to me stressed, overwhelmed, or burnt out, they don't need me to make them feel better about their situation. They need me to help them understand how they got into their situation so they can change it.

That requires data. Real information about what's happening, why it's happening, and what we can do about it.

What data-driven coaching looks like

When I work with someone, I'm constantly collecting data. I'm noticing how they respond to different types of questions. What makes them light up versus what makes them shut down. How they describe their stress versus how their stress shows up in their behaviour.

I'm paying attention to their language patterns. Do they catastrophise? Do they minimise? Do they blame external factors or take responsibility?

I'm observing their physical responses. Do they tense up when we talk about certain topics? Do they avoid eye contact? Do they fidget when discussing particular stressors?

I’m paying attention to their emotional responses.  Tears tell us we’re onto something of value. 

All of this is data. All of this tells me something about how they function, not how they think they function.

The power of specificity

When you work with data instead of assumptions you get specific solutions instead of generic ones.

Research from Frontiers in Psychology shows that coaching impacts behavioural outcomes more than attitudes or personality characteristics, but only when the approach is systematic and evidence-based.

Instead of "try meditation," we might discover that what helps your stress is structured problem-solving sessions at 10 am when your analytical brain is sharpest.

Instead of "think more positively," we might find that what you need is better boundaries with your team and a clear system for managing interruptions.

Instead of "just relax," we might realise that what reduces your stress is having more control over your schedule and clearer communication about priorities.

This is why I love assessments. They give us starting points for these conversations. They help us get specific about what's happening, rather than what we assume is happening.

“But Johanna, fluffy feels safer”

I understand why people are drawn to fluffy approaches. They feel safer. They don't require you to look too closely at what's really happening. They don't ask uncomfortable questions. They don't challenge your assumptions about yourself.

Safe doesn't equal effective.

If you want to feel better temporarily, fluffy approaches might help. If you want to change your relationship with stress, you need data.

You need to understand what's really creating your stress, how it's really showing up, and what you need to address it.

Not fluffy, effective

I don't do fluffy because fluffy doesn't work. Not for the long term. Not for real change. Not for the kind of problems my clients are dealing with.

I do data because data works. It gives us something concrete to work with. It helps us understand what's actually happening, rather than what we think is happening.

And when we understand what's happening, we can do something about it.

That's not fluffy. That's effective.

Are you ready to ditch the fluffy approaches and get some real data about your stress patterns? My S.T.R.E.S.S.™ framework uses evidence-based assessments to diagnose what's really creating your stress, not what you think is creating it. No one-size-fits-all solutions. Just personalised strategies that actually stick.

If you want to know what's really going on, drop me a message or book a free consultation call.